G’day, mates, and thanks for stopping by! In this edition of our Things Seen In A Particular Country, we’re visiting Australia, a.k.a. the land where toilet water swirls in the wrong direction and everything (including the weather) just might kill you*. And although earlier we made a similar list on Australian Things, the last time, it was through the lens of the Down Under dwellers. This time, instead, it’s the visitors of the country who shared the unique Aussie things they saw when they were there on this Reddit thread. And wouldn’t you know it - they pointed out some things about Australia even the locals have forgotten about!
Okay, so here’s a preview of all the Aussie things people point out the most often. Number one - everybody seemed to agree that Aussies are super chilled and uber friendly (but like in a good way, not a nosy way). Well, I guess we’d all be happy if we had as many sunny days as they do! Number two - and this is a surprising one - it seems that Australians are pretty hot for beetroots. Yeah, beetroots! Number three - the incredibly stunning nature, the pristine blue skies, the never-ending horizon, beautiful wild animals and birds (99% of which might kill you, remember that). Just reading these people’s descriptions of the beauty they saw while visiting Australia has had our minds painting the most incredible pictures, and now we’re saving up for a trip to eucalyptus land.
Anyhoo, once you’ve read the submissions that came from this epic AskReddit thread, you’ll definitely have enough info to paint your own picture of things in Australia and Australia in things. We bet, though, that you’ll want to schedule a trip down there ASAP - just the same as we felt after reading these! So, scroll down below, check out the submissions, and give your vote to the most incredible Aussie things!
*Fun fact - there have been no registered deaths from spider bites in Australia since 1979.
#1
"I used to think the best days of my life might involve marriage, children, maybe career success.
Then visiting my brother in Perth I saw a pelican do a massive fly-by s**t on a toddler's head. Game over."
Report
47points
#2
"As an Australian, I am really surprised no one has mentioned THE STARS in the night sky.
You can't see the stars like in Australia, like anywhere else in the world. The stars in the night sky in Australia are like BOOM BI**H!! YOU ARE TINY, LOOK AT HOW TINY AND INSIGNIFICANT YOU ARE, AND LOOK AT HOW BEAUTIFUL WE ALL ARE UP HERE. Twinkle, f'in Twinkle."
Report
44points
#4
HoundOfTheBasketball said:
"Everybody I met was happy. Coming from Glasgow, Scotland, this was a massive culture shock."
"Everybody I met was happy. Coming from Glasgow, Scotland, this was a massive culture shock."
gtatlien replied:
"American here. I met a Scottish guy at a bar in Melbourne and asked what he was doing so far from home. In a very thick accent, he says "You ever been to Scotland? It fu**ing sucks"."
"American here. I met a Scottish guy at a bar in Melbourne and asked what he was doing so far from home. In a very thick accent, he says "You ever been to Scotland? It fu**ing sucks"."
Report
31points
#5
"How ridiculously loud the birdsong is in the morning. (Cockatoos and magpies, your angry squawking eventually grew on me.) Also, the fearlessness of all the parrots. The vivid colors and apparent lack of a fight-or-flight instinct made me think: these parrots must have no predators. Rosellas (in Canberra) and rainbow lorikeets (in Sydney) just plopping down beside me and eating out of my hand. It was magical."
Report
31points
#6
MorbidlyMacabre said:
"I'm a big-city California girl currently visiting a small country town in rural Queensland. The biggest shock to me so far (haven't ventured much outside of airports and the town) is the camel I saw on a farm. CAMELS. The only time I saw a camel was at a carnival when I was a kid."
"I'm a big-city California girl currently visiting a small country town in rural Queensland. The biggest shock to me so far (haven't ventured much outside of airports and the town) is the camel I saw on a farm. CAMELS. The only time I saw a camel was at a carnival when I was a kid."
Apellosine replied:
"Would you be surprised to learn that Australia has the largest population of wild camels and that we export camels to Saudi Arabia?"
"Would you be surprised to learn that Australia has the largest population of wild camels and that we export camels to Saudi Arabia?"
Report
30points
#7
"I'm gonna have to check in with the most unexpected thing I didn't see. I'm arachnophobic, I visited Australia for 2 weeks and didn't see a single spider. The coolest thing I think though was how well British and Australian attitudes mesh. It's like we were designed to make fun of each other."
Report
27points
#8
"The colorful flocks of birds. I fell off my bike the first time a flock of Rosellas flew past me."
Report
27points
#9
amireallyreal said: "Beetroot on burgers. Why?"
User No 2 said: "I'm pretty sure it's actually in our Constitution. Besides, it's the only way any of us would ever eat the stuff."
Report
24points
#10
Jpnoth4 said:
"As an exchange student from Hong Kong, the first cultural shock I experienced was how y’all don’t really wear shoes, I never expect to see so many toes on the streets lmao."
"As an exchange student from Hong Kong, the first cultural shock I experienced was how y’all don’t really wear shoes, I never expect to see so many toes on the streets lmao."
shadow125 replied:
"Give us a break - it is still only 10 toes per person…"
"Give us a break - it is still only 10 toes per person…"
Report
24points
#11
Reddit user said:
"THE COFFEE SHOPS. Boy was I pleasantly surprised. Lived in Sydney for a semester and wow do your coffee shops kick a**. Everyone had great drinks and amazing food. What yall had on every block, Im lucky to find in a small city."
Aardvark_Man replied:
"Our coffee game is top shelf, and it feeds back into itself. The better the majority is, the better the rest needs to be to compete."
Report
23points
#12
devland said:
"Penguins. Who knew there were little Aussie penguins running around? I was stunned."
"Penguins. Who knew there were little Aussie penguins running around? I was stunned."
Siberian_Poland replied:
"Yep, on some islands we have penguins for some reason."
"Yep, on some islands we have penguins for some reason."
timm1blr replied:
"Also in Melbourne on some of the beaches. Winter here is fantastic if you know where to look."
"Also in Melbourne on some of the beaches. Winter here is fantastic if you know where to look."
Report
23points
#13
ALazy_Cat said:
"How there's actually snow there."
"How there's actually snow there."
figglegorn replied:
"This fact blew my mind but The Australian Alps get more snow than the entirety of Switzerland."
"This fact blew my mind but The Australian Alps get more snow than the entirety of Switzerland."
JimmySilverman replied:
"We’re actually called New Zealand not just ‘the Australian alps’ - thanks."
"We’re actually called New Zealand not just ‘the Australian alps’ - thanks."
Report
23points
#14
i__love__myself said:
"Not anymore but when I found out that the Tasmanian devil is a real thing and Tasmania is a real place."
"Not anymore but when I found out that the Tasmanian devil is a real thing and Tasmania is a real place."
Stardust-Fury replied:
"As a Tasmanian, I would like to say you are welcome to come and have a look at our small, usually forgotten, slice of paradise."
"As a Tasmanian, I would like to say you are welcome to come and have a look at our small, usually forgotten, slice of paradise."
Report
23points
#15
"I remember getting off the plane and just noticing that the colors were all different. Felt like the sun was brighter and the sky bluer. (might have been because we left Germany in winter and arrived in summer) but also, the silvery green of the Eucalyptus trees is a color we don't get here.
Also: Free BBQ stations everywhere. That was cool!"
Report
22points
#16
llennacs said:
"Ice Cream called Golden Gay Time.
Me being 13, had to send pictures of them to all my friends."
"Ice Cream called Golden Gay Time.
Me being 13, had to send pictures of them to all my friends."
howmanychickens replied:
"Silly name. Best icecream. It comes in a tub now!"
"Silly name. Best icecream. It comes in a tub now!"
Report
22points
#17
Spectronautic1 said:
"The fact that almost the entire population lives near the coast. The center is enormous and deadly. Idk why but it blows my mind seeing those pics of signs saying stuff along the lines of next gas station is far af if you’re not prepared you’re gonna die."
"The fact that almost the entire population lives near the coast. The center is enormous and deadly. Idk why but it blows my mind seeing those pics of signs saying stuff along the lines of next gas station is far af if you’re not prepared you’re gonna die."
elegant_pun replied:
"Gotta live near the edge, there's no water anywhere else. No rain, no nothing."
"Gotta live near the edge, there's no water anywhere else. No rain, no nothing."
Report
22points
#19
emunny_99 said:
"Something is wrong with the way you market Tim Tams. Arnotts should be bigger than Amazon."
"Something is wrong with the way you market Tim Tams. Arnotts should be bigger than Amazon."
Ari2079 said:
"It got bought out by Americans."
"It got bought out by Americans."
20points
#20
Depression_God said:
"The banter. Aussies are surprisingly quick and have a great sense of humor. Also, they tend to have a darker, irreverent taste in jokes. Makes for good entertainment."
"The banter. Aussies are surprisingly quick and have a great sense of humor. Also, they tend to have a darker, irreverent taste in jokes. Makes for good entertainment."
TheEarlySeller replied:
"A lot of the best British comics (Gervais, Carr) just use the same humor as Australians but make it more polite and accessible somehow.
"A lot of the best British comics (Gervais, Carr) just use the same humor as Australians but make it more polite and accessible somehow.
Ironically Australian comedians are substantially less funny than people you’d meet on the street."
Report
20points